Robin Comisar, writer and director of "Great Choice" -- which gained a cult following thanks to fan-altered bootlegs -- tells TMZ after his 2017 flick starring an up-and-coming Carrie Coon started making waves on the festival circuit, he got hit up by RL brass.

Robin declined to get into specifics about the chat ... but pointed out the obvious ... "Great Choice" never got an official release, which he says has been frustrating since he was so stoked about the project.

Here's the sitch ... "Great Choice" is a gory, satirical reflection of a 1994 commercial from Red Lobster which introduced 30 shrimp for $10.99 ... a prelude to the endless shrimp promotion that allegedly contributed to the joint's bankruptcy.

As Robin explains, his project was not intended as a knock on Red Lobster, as much as it was a social commentary on the food industry's outrageous portions to get more peeps in the door.

Interest in the film has reignited with all the RL headlines ... which means Robin has been getting blown up with praise for the project ... and more pleas to release a final version!

The 'GC' mastermind said he's wanted to address the matter for a while, letting peeps know his hands are tied ... and likely will stay that way ... 'cause even if RL were to go under -- which the chain assures it won't -- the copyright would still hamper any release.